Casing protector



Nov.` 16v, 1926.

H. c. BREWSTER cAsING PROTECTOR ATroRNEYs Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

mural) STATES y 1,607,430 PATENT' oFFlcE.

HARRY C. BBEWSTEB, `OIF SHBEVEPOBT, LUISIANA.

CABING PROTECTOR.

Application llled February 16, 1928. Serlallo. 88,670.`

This invention relates in eneral to casing protectors for use inv well illing, and the object of the invention is to providea protector of this character whichwill prevent 6 objects from beingd dropped or falling down into the well durlng the drilling operation or at any other time. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a protector having these advantages and ywhich permits of the discharge of the cuttings or detritus.

A further object resides in the provision of a protector having these advantages an capacities and which permits the insertion and removal of the drill bit and the motions `of the drill stem incidental to drilling while effectively preventing objects from falling into the Well. L l

Other objects and advantages reside in 'cer- `tain novel features of the construction, ar-

- rangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularl pointed out in the appended claims, re erence being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification2 an in which v l Figure 1 1s a sectional view showingf the invention applied to ajwell casing, I

Figures 2 and 3 are top plan views oil-tho protector showing the different positions of the same, and

Figure 4 is a group view in perspective the parts of the rotector prior to assembly. Referring to t e drawings the numeral 1 36 designates generally a Well casing to the upper end of which the protector constituting lthe present invention 1s applied.- The protector includesa hollow'cyhndrical body or head, designated at 2, having its lower` end '40 threadedly connected to'the well caslngol as indicated at 3. Internally the holl dy 2 is of uniform diameter but'adjacent its upper end this hollow body. is thickened and tapers outwardly, -as indlcated at 4l LIn the.

tapered portion 4 a number of discharge openings or ports 5 are provided'to permit of the discharge of the cuttings or. detritus. Due to the outwardly tapering outer wall of the hollow body and to theY location of these` openings 5 in this peripheral wall there is no likelihood of objects falling inthrough such ports. This end is also furthered y the narrow and angularlyelon'gated formation of the openings. At its upper end the hollow body 2 has a seat 6 around whlch a lment of the ca an upwardly 'project' marginal flange 7 is provided. A fixed ring 8 is mounted on the seat 6 and is held against rotation by means of ins or studs 9 thread-v ed into the u per end) of the hollow body 2` and snugly tted in recesses 10 provided therefor in the underside of the fixed ring 8. The fixed rin 8 is provided with an opening which inc udes opposite semi-circular or arcuate walls 11 between which the opening is formed with rectangular extensions 12, the i end walls of which are beveled, as indicatedf at 12. A rotatable cap 15 is mounted on the d upper end ofthe hollow body 2 and this cap vthrough these slots 18 pins 19 extend, thc

pins being threaded into the body portion 2. The slots 18 have an angular extent o f 90 andthe pins 19 -are engageable with the end walls of the slots to limit the angular movel Since the cap `15 is held down on t e body by the pins 19 this cap serves to hold the ring 8 against upward displacement. To Vfacilitate turning of the cap 15 its body portion `16.is provided with y handle member or .pin 20. The body portion 16 of the plate' 15 is provided with an-,opening of thel same l form and shav as the o 'ning in the ring 8 andthe vopemng of the biidy portion of the4 vcap has a central portiony defined by semi- '21' co-act to define a complete circular opening through the upper end of the protector and this openin is of such size as to accom- 10i llnodate the dril stem and its couplings and yet prevent the falling of ob'ects into the well. 'When the walls 11 an 21 are complementary to each other the rect-angular extensions of the opening of the cap over- X10 i the rectangular extensions of the opening 'of the ring underlie imperforate portions of the body of the cap, the cap and the ring 'together constituting a closure for the upper end of the body. In order to permit this closure to present an opening to permit of the insertion and withdrawal of the drill bit the cap and the ring are adjusted to the position shown in Figure 3 wherein the rectangular extensions of the openings ot' the cap and'plate are in vertical alignment.

'1n order to line up the drill bit with this opening the fixed ring 8 is provided with drill bit camming members 30 which have inclined camming surfaces 31 engageable with the drill bit to turn it into alignment with the rectangular extensions of the open.- ing of the cap and ring.

I claim 1. A protector for wells including a hollow body adapted to b'e secured to the upper end of the well casing and having closure means at its upper end including relatively adjustable members having openings .permitting of the passage of the drill stein alone in one adjustment and of the drill bit also in another adjustment, said members overlying the upper end lof the well casing in all adjustments whereby they obstruct all portions of the opening at the upper end of the well casing except such portions of said opening as accommodate the drill bit and the drillstem.

2. A protector for wells including a hollow body adapted to be secured to the upper endof the well casing and having closure means at its upper end comprising relatively adjustable members overlying the well casing in all adjustments and having openings permitting of the passage of the drill ,alone in one adjustment and of the drill bit also in another adjustment, and means carried by the protector and engageable with the drill bit for automatically aligning the drill bit with 'the openings of the members of the closure when said members are adjusted to of the drill bit.

3. A rotector for wells including a hollow bo y adapted to be secured to the upper end of the well casing and having clopermit of the passage sure means at its upper end including relatively adjustable members having openings permitting of the passage et' the drill stem in one adjustment and of the drill bit in another adjustment, said members overlying the upper end of. the well casing in all adjustments, and means for alining the drill bit with the openings of the members of the closure when the same are adjusted to permit of the passage of the drill bit.

4. A protector for Wells including relatively adjustable members mounted to overlie the well casing in all adjustments and having openings permitting of the passage oi' the drill stem alone in one adjustment and ot' the drill bit also in another adjustment.

A protector for wells including a hollow body having closure means at its upper end adapted to normally permit the passage ot' the drill stem alone and to be moved to permit the passage of the drill bit also, said hollow body having an outwardly tapering peripheral portion provided with port-s permitting ot' the discharge of the detritus. y

6. A protector for use with Well casings including a hollow body adapted to have its lower end secured to the upper end of the well casing7 a ring fixed to the upper end of the hollow body and having an opening therein, a cap rotatably mounted on the hollow body and overlying the ring;` means for limiting the turning movement of the cap, and means for turning the cap, said cap also having an opening cooperable With the opening of the ring to permit of the passage of the drill stem alone lin one adjustment and co-operable with the opening in the ring to permit of the passage of the drill bit also'in another adjustment.

i". A protector for use with well -casings ring to permit of the. passage of the drill bit also in another adjust-ment, and drill bit .k

eamming members carried by the ring for aligning the drill bit with the openings of the cap and ring.

8. A protector for wells including a hollow body having closure means including relatively adjustable members provided with openings having semi-circular portlons complen'ientary in one adjustment to pernnt of the passage oi a drill stem and collars only and also having elongated extensions complementary in vanother adjustment to permit the passage of the drill bit also.

HARRY C. BREWS'IER. 

